Samos Cheese: Armogalo made by the Vourliotis family

Early in the morning, the Samos livestock farmers arrive with their farm equipment in an organised order, bringing about two tons of the day's milk.

Niki Vourliotis, dairy farmer-cheesemaker, graduate of TEI Ioannina, second generation involved in cheesemaking, receives and meticulously fills small vials with a sample from each receipt to be sent to Mytilini for inspection twice a month.

The cheesemaking tradition with modern technology is immediately noticeable.

As the day's program says, everything is ready in the surgically clean interior of the building on the outskirts of the village to produce white brine cheese and yoghurt, cow and goat.

The thick, sweet, and buttery smell of milk, prepared at room temperature, fills the room, and the water vapour creates a feeling of warmth.

The famous armogalos

The Samos Cheese Factory facilities were founded in 1999 by Argyris Vourliotis, and today, 25 years later, it remains the only certified cheese factory on the island. The famous cheese of Samos, Armogalo is also made.

It is a cheese that used to be made by housewives at home and is now exclusively made here. They use only goat's milk for its preparation.

The cheese is matured for 24 hours, drained for another 24, and finally beaten to achieve its characteristic creamy texture. Its taste is rich and full, slightly spicy and acidic.

This is what makes it ideal for eating on bread or nuts or even for breakfast with honey or fruit. It is also used in many pitas and even in salads.

It has a short shelf life because it contains little salt. Therefore, its production is also small and only available on the island.

The other products

I follow Niki inside the premises. They then prepare the white brine cheese from 80% goat and sheep and 20% cow's milk.

In addition to this and Armonico, they make graviera, fresh anthotyro, traditional cow's and goat's yoghurt, trachana, vanilla cream, and rice milk.

Moving on, I watch the yoghurt packaging process done with two small hand pumps in a small walk-in refrigerator. The movements are fast and sharp, as speed and timing are required.

The cheese factory's products are only sufficient for the local market and consumption. They can be found in certain supermarkets and grocery stores throughout the island and directly from the Mytilini cheese factory.

Info: Tyrokomiki Samou O.E., Mytilinioi, tel.: 22730 52200-1

Nikos Kokkas is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

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